Start a Band and Rock the World with Rock Band Exclusively on Xbox 360

LONDON - 2nd June 2008 - This weekend, at a beachside event in Ibiza ‘Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live’ was launched. The promotion allows music fans in France, Germany and the U.K. to Start a Band and Rock the World with Rock Band, a new video game available only on Xbox 360 this summer! Those who give stellar performances on Rock Band could win a rock star lifestyle: living it up VIP style in Ibiza with a week’s holiday at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel.

Rock Band is available exclusively on the Xbox 360 console this summer and is going to be the season’s biggest hit! The game takes the music videogame genre to new heights of enjoyment as music lovers and would be band superstars get access to their favourite artists across the generations from every genre of rock. With an endless supply of digitally distributed content downloaded over Xbox LIVE the game brings together friends and family and challenges players to tour for fame and fortune by mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals.

Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band events will be held in a number of different locations in U.K., France and Germany. Fans will have the opportunity to perform songs on Rock Band from a variety of artists including David Bowie, The Clash, Jet, Radiohead and Garbage. Those who give outstanding performances on Rock Band will make it to the wall of fame on www.xbox.com/rockband with the winners, chosen by MTV and celebrity judges Maximo Park, living like VIPs in Ibiza.

Paul Smith, front man of Newcastle’s finest export and Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live judge explains what they will be looking for when picking the winners.

“All the best rock bands have got amazing star quality and whilst they’ve got to play their instruments well they’ve also got to have the showmanship to excite a crowd. From outrageous outfits and haircuts to amazing postural performances we are looking for a group who give us all of this and more on top!”

Maximo Park have been rehearsing furiously for a tour of Europe’s summer music festivals are big fans of Rock Band, performing David Bowie’s Suffragette City at the Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live event. The band’s track “Girls Who Play Guitars”, taken from their highly acclaimed album Our Earthly Pleasures, will be available to download and play with Rock Band from Tuesday 10th of June 2008:

“We have an Xbox 360 with Rock Band installed in our rehearsal studio in Newcastle and it’s great for thrashing out some amazing songs,” explains Paul. “We can’t wait until our fans can do the same with Girls Who Play Guitars.”

Rock Band’s amazing offering of over 70 songs to date is available for purchase and to download from Xbox LIVE. New songs will be made available for download on a weekly basis. Full-length albums such as Judas Priest’s Screaming for Vengeance and The Cars self titled album are also available on Xbox LIVE as digitally distributed game levels.

Chris Lewis, Vice President of Xbox 360 Europe concludes:

“Rock Band on Xbox 360 is going to be the biggest game of the summer. It makes rock stars of you, your friends and family, bringing them together to compete not just for high scores but for the ‘stage floor’. With the launch of Xbox 360 Presents Rock Band Live promotion we hope everyone will have a chance to feel like a star, even if only for five minutes.”